When you’re starting a business or beginning a new hobby, you’ll often want to have an intuitive website that lets your customers and fans find you easily. After all, nearly everyone in this day and age uses the internet as their first step in the research process.
Therefore, you’ll want to build a website that clearly conveys your message, looks good, and is easy to use. But if you don’t have a background in tech, you may be nervous about the prospect of making a website.
That’s where services like Wix come into play. Wix claims to allow users to create an eye-catching website that requires no coding experience whatsoever.
But does the site live up to its claims, or is it not worth the investment?
Let’s take a look.
Wix has a number of appealing benefits that might tempt business owners and creative professionals looking to build their brand:
- Beginner Friendly. One of the biggest benefits to Wix is how intuitive and easy it is for beginners to use. The service boasts a “drag and drop editor” which numerous reviews indicate makes building a website as easy as snapping your fingers, regardless of whether or not the user has any coding ability at all.
- Excellent Customer Service. There is a staggering amount of clickable help options located conveniently throughout Wix’s editing service. These helpful hints can usually assist the user in solving his or her problem, however, for any issues that require a bit more interaction, Wix offers a calling service as well as a help form. The helpful support team will quickly assess your issue and get back to you with a solution to your query.
- Customizable. Wix enables you to be as creative as your mind will allow. They offer tons of options so that you can make the website of your dreams.
As with all good things, Wix has some downsides that bear consideration when deciding on your website builder:
- Changes are Difficult to Make Once Site Goes Live. Some users have reported having difficulty making changes to their site. But a simple search on Google "make changes to my Wix site" will show you how.
- Not the Best Choice for Very Large Businesses. For solo ventures, small businesses, and even some medium-sized businesses, Wix is an excellent option. However, those that have plans to grow into a very large operation, might hit a ceiling when it comes to Wix’s ability to accommodate their needs.
- Too Many Choices? For those overthinkers or extra-analytical folks out there (you know who you are), the vast array of options may not be the best fit for your website’s needs. You may want to explore a site builder that has fewer options, making your decisions easier.
Bottom Line
If you run a small to medium-sized operation, are looking for tons of options from your site builder, and want an excellent customer support team behind you, Wix is the perfect option.
Click Here to Visit the Official Wix.com Website
Squarespace is a widely used website builder, especially in the creative space. Many podcasters promote the service and it is one of the biggest names in website building in general
But just because the service is popular, this does not mean it’s the best option. Let’s take a look at the positive and negative features of Squarespace so that you can decide if it’s the right website builder for you.
Let’s first take a look at the good features: what does Squarespace do well?
- Manage and edit your site from your mobile device. The ability to access every feature of the site through a mobile app is a massive benefit to using Squarespace. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can quickly handle any issues that arise or address customer concerns quickly and easily.
- Beautiful templates. Squarespace doesn’t offer as many options for templates as do some other website builders. However, the ones they do offer are phenomenal. They feature eye-catching designs and are appreciated by all users.
- Easy to link to social media. The ability to link your various online profiles to your website is a great way to reach potential customers no matter which social media services they use. Squarespace can be integrated with many of the top social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.
Squarespace is clearly a great option for many businesses and entrepreneurs. But after looking at the positive aspects of Squarespace, it’s crucial that we also define some potentially negative features of the service.
- No free option. While the paid options are very reasonable, there is no free option available from Squarespace. This can create issues for businesses and individuals who want to find a service that provides a “bare bones” package that allows them to save on cost.
- Lack of phone support. Overall, Squarespace’s customer service is excellent. Messages are answered quickly and thoroughly. However, it’s important to many businesses that there is a number to call so that they can speak to someone in person, should issues arise.
- Not beginner friendly. Compared to other website builders, Squarespace is a bit more complicated. It’s not incredibly hard to learn, but there definitely are some features that take some getting used to. So, if you are someone who struggles mightily with technology, you may want to consider another website building service.
How do these negative options factor into your decision? Let’s put it all together so you can determine whether Squarespace is the right choice for you.
Summary
Looking at all of the data, Squarespace seems to be a great option for those who are slightly more proficient with their tech skills, don’t mind paying for the service, and are searching for high quality templates versus pure quantity. If Squarespace still checks all of the boxes for you after hearing the potential negatives, then follow the lead of many other entrepreneurs and start building your website with Squarespace today!
Click Here to Visit the Official Squarespace.com Website
Your online presence is one of the most crucial elements that will lead to the success of your business or project. Gone are the days of finding a service through the white pages; everything happens online now.
For this reason, it’s important that your website allows for an excellent user experience. At a minimum, your site should:
- Be easy to navigate.
- Have a clear method in which site visitors can contact you.
- Provide a thorough explanation of your service or product.
In order to build a site that checks all of the boxes for the requirements listed above, you’ll want a website builder that is compatible with your skill set and can accommodate your vision. Web.com is a very popular and long-standing company that provides website building services, but is it the right option for you? Let’s take a look.
Web.com is well-liked by many companies and entrepreneurs for the following reasons:
- Free and very affordable options. If you are on a tight budget, Web.com is an excellent option for your website building needs. They have an option that allows you to create a professional-looking website at no cost to you. Additionally, the paid version of Web.com starts at only 2.95$ per month.
- Access to a massive number of pictures and images. Licensing issues often plague companies when they attempt to integrate pictures and images into their websites. Luckily, Web.com provides numerous images that can be used in the construction of your site.
- Search Engine Optimization tools available. SEO is all the rage these days. Everyone wants to make sure that their site stands out amongst the masses and comes to the front of Google’s search results. Web.com has tools to help you maximize your SEO potential.
Web.com is a basic service that delivers what it promises. However, for some users it may not be the best choice for the following reasons:
- Excessive number of templates and features. The majority of people will likely see having extra options as a benefit. In many cases, it’s true that having access to a plethora of options is a good thing. But for some individuals, having too many choices can create a feeling of anxiety and indecision. Also, there is something to be said for quality versus quantity when it comes to features.
- Limited options with free version. This point is somewhat of a no-brainer. Obviously, if there is a paid version and a free version, you will have access to less options when you select the no-cost option. However, the free version of Web.com is very basic and is likely not a viable option for many businesses.
- Extra features may have unexpected costs. While there are not necessarily “surprise” costs, there are some additional costs to some of the higher end features available through the service.
Is Web.com a Good Option For Building a Website?
For most businesses and solo ventures, YES! Web.com has all of the features you could ever want and the service is very affordable. Just be careful with the extra costs associated with some features and strongly consider whether or not you want to pursue the free option or the paid.
Click Here to Visit the Official Web.com Website
GoDaddy burst onto the scene years ago with its use of compelling TV commercials. The company has its roots firmly planted in the web hosting space, but they also provide the option for website building through their site.
So, is GoDaddy all flash and no substance, or does the site provide an excellent website building service that’s well-worth the investment? Let’s break it down.
GoDaddy has multiple enticing features that may draw in businesses such as:
- Intuitive editing features. Of all of the website building services available, GoDaddy is one of the simplest to use. All of the editing tools are easy to find and someone with virtually no tech experience would not have a difficult time navigating GoDaddy’s platform.
- Integrated marketing capabilities. GoDaddy makes running your marketing campaign a breeze. Newsletters, social media, and other marketing tools are all an integral part of your website when you design it using GoDaddy.
- Phone, tablet, and desktop compatibility. When you’re on the go or aren’t able to get to your computer, you can still do everything you need to do with regards to your website on your phone or tablet. With GoDaddy, even when you’re on vacation you can still make simple, quick edits to your website from the palm of your hand.
Of course, the good aspects of the service outlined above have to be compared with the more negative aspects discussed below:
- No email customer service. While there are options by phone and chat, email is often one of the preferred means of communicating with customer support staff. This option not being available forces users to wait in what can often be a long queue on the phone, or use the chat feature. Both of these methods work just fine, but can take some time to get a response.
- Relatively expensive. There are 5 pricing options with GoDaddy, which range from 0$/month to 25$/month. The free version allows for very little flexibility, which often pushes users toward the more expensive options.
Is GoDaddy Worth It?
Compared to other website building services, GoDaddy is probably not the best option for most businesses. That being said, it’s important that you consider exactly what you need from your website.
If you are looking for an extremely easy-to-use service that makes designing your website a simple process which can be done from any device, you should consider using GoDaddy.
On the other hand, if you want an emphasis on SEO, have complex needs for your site, and are looking for an affordable option, it would be best for you to look elsewhere.
Click Here to Visit the Official GoDaddy.com Website
When you’re building your website, it’s hard to know where to start. There are so many options available that one can easily be overwhelmed by all the choices.
If you’ve been searching through your potential options for a website builder, you may have come across Hostgator. Hostgator offers many options that may appeal to you, but some of the features may not be the right fit for your business.
In this post, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of Hostgator so that you can make an informed decision on your website builder.
Regardless of the size or nature of your business, the following features of Hostgator are compelling to any company or entrepreneur:
- Client payment options. No matter which pricing plan you select, you have the ability to take payments. This differs from many of the other website building services which only allow this feature through their premium packages.
- Affordability. While there is no free version of Hostgator, the prices available for each membership tier are outstanding. The affordability of using Hostgator makes them an extremely tempting option when compared alongside their competitors.
- Excellent customer service. Their support team is friendly, quick to respond, and extremely effective at triaging any issues that may arise throughout the process of building your website. They are available to help via chat, email, and phone, allowing you to reach them in whatever manner you prefer.
It’s easy to see the positives inherent in Hostgator’s service. However, as with anything, there are certainly elements of Hostgator that could use a tune-up:
- Limited Apps and Extensions. Hostgator maintains an app store, but the options are sparse, to put it mildly. They focus mainly on the necessities when it comes to website building and they do this extremely well. It would just be nice to have some more options available.
- Inability to schedule posts for publication. When it comes to blog posting, Hostgator has a frustrating limitation: the service does not enable you to schedule posts ahead of time. While this is a relatively small issue, it is an annoyance which makes it difficult to effectively create a blog post marketing campaign.
- Extremely limited ability to edit photos. Outside of modifying the size of your images, you have almost no photo editing capabilities with Hostgator. This is unfortunate, as Hostgator allows you access to tons of photos and images that you can use as much as you like.
Conclusion
For those looking for an affordable service with tons of free stock images and excellent customer service, Hostgator is the website builder for you.
If, however, you have a great need to perform detailed photo edits, schedule blog posts for publication, and highly value having many app options; you’ll want to look for another service.
Website building through Hostgator is an overall great experience, but your mileage may vary based on your individual needs. So, make sure you take your time and compare all of the options available before moving forward with your decision.
Click Here to Visit the Official HostGator.com Website
Let’s start off by stating the obvious: every business requires a website. Gone are the days when getting a website was such a huge undertaking, making it reserved for big businesses and corporations. The ease of getting your website up and running makes all the upsides no-brainers. What are some of these upsides, you ask? Well:
- Digital Presence: With most people doing their shopping online, not having a proper digital presence is detrimental to your business. If people cannot find you online, it is the same as not existing at all.
- Credibility: Having a beautiful, professional website gives credibility to your business. The first impression is key.
- Brand Identity: A website is a great way to communicate and reinforce your brand to would-be and existing clients.
- Digital Marketing: Digital marketing is powerful. With the ability to reach your target audience at your disposal, having a website to direct your leads to is necessary.
- Web Traffic: Marketing aside, having a SEO-optimized website helps your business rank higher when potential clients are searching for goods and services you offer, bringing in that sweet, organic traffic.
- Customer Service: You can easily integrate tools like chatbots to assist you in providing great customer support to your online clients. Who doesn’t like good customer service?
- Effective, Efficient Communication: Your website is your way of communicating with your clients - all day, every day. Any updates, offers, discounts, etc, can easily be communicated to millions of people - whenever, wherever.
A website is a key part of the growth of any modern business. With that quite emphatically established, the next logical question is: How do I get a website for my business?
Assuming you’re not some web development or design guru, there are two ways to get a website. You could either:
- Hire a web design agency, or
- Use a website builder.
We take a look at each option, the pros and cons, and give you the best option based on the information on each.
For many years, hiring a professional was the way to go. Simply put, a web design agency is a team of professionals that is involved in the website creation process. It includes graphic designers, web designers, and web developers. A web design agency works with you to get a vision for your desired website, and then creates a site based on your specifications. Constant communication is therefore part of the process.
An agency provides revisions, redesigns, and other maintenance options – at a cost of course. While having a site built from scratch can make it unique to you, it also leaves quite the unique dent in your wallet.
There are considerations you need to make if a web design agency is your preferred method.
- You need to have very clear and concise requirements, specifications, and goals. Not having this increases the chances of having a website that is different from your expectations. Very little should be left up for interpretation.
- You should review the portfolio of any agency you want to work with to see if they can pull off what you might want for your business.
- It is always good practice to go through reviews, comments, or contact any reference clients.
Fun fact: These are two completely different roles, even though one person might be able to do both. A web designer is responsible for the look and feel of a website. A developer is responsible for the actual functionality of the website. One makes it look great while the other makes sure it’s not just a pretty face – that it actually works and does what it’s supposed to.
Clear? Great.
While an agency is a team or company that you hire, a freelancer is more often than not an individual. With both, the kind of people you get to work with will determine the outcome of your website and overall experience. However, the risk of disappointment is much higher with a freelancer. On the other hand, an agency is significantly more expensive.
Pros:
- A custom, professional website: Having a site built from scratch gives you unlimited possibilities for what you can achieve. Every little thing can be tweaked to your desires. The result can be magnificent.
Cons:
- Price: With all the effort involved, it is a huge financial undertaking. The budget for hiring professionals for a small business site is anything from $2,000 to $10,000. It is far from suitable for a small business.
- Time constraints: Depending on how soon you want the site up and running, this method can take quite some time.
- Risk of undesired outcome: If the communication is not clear and regular, the site you get might be very disappointing.
This is the DIY option. That alone may already be enough to convince you.
Website builders are great ambassadors for technological advancements. A once daunting task can now be done by anyone in a matter of minutes.
It is a platform (or tool) that lets you create your website using existing templates. There is no technical knowledge necessary when using website builders. From the numerous available templates, you can then customize the one closest to your desired website to make it truly yours.
There are many builders available online, each with different customizations levels and options, and some extras to set them apart from the competition.
- Wix
- Squarespace
- HostGator
- Site123
- Domain.com
There are online and offline web builders. Offline builders allow you to download the tools you need to build locally on your computer. Online builders use an editor accessed through your preferred browser.
When all is done and you are happy with the design of your website, all the files are then uploaded to a web host and published. Web hosting is a service that lets you store and maintain website files online. Publishing means that the website is now available for access online.
Some web builders combine the building and hosting services as a package, making it even more convenient and efficient. For a small monthly fee, you can build, design, buy a domain, host, and publish your website – all in a matter of minutes.
- Cost: Some builders are more cost-effective than others. With your needs in mind, make sure that you are getting value for money for whatever plan best suits the needs of your business.
- Available Templates: The more templates there are, the better. Do not go for a builder with limited options.
- Customization Options: The level of customization available for a particular builder will determine how unique your website can be.
- User-Friendliness: Even though no technical knowledge is required when using website builders, it still has to be usable – even for a complete beginner.
- Package Deals: Some builders will bundle in better bandwidth, free domains, etc. Make use of such deals.
- Up Time: It is one thing to promise 99.9% uptime and another to maintain it.
- Tech Support: Choose a builder with 24/7 tech support. You never know when you’ll need it.
Why should you use a website builder? For a small business, there is a lot to like about using web builders:
- No Creative/ Design knowledge is necessary: Even if you’re not the best at coming up with design ideas, web builders enable you to come up with beautiful websites for your business.
- No technical knowledge is necessary: Web builders boast of user-friendliness that allows absolute beginners to produce professional sites within minutes.
- Cost-Effective: When compared to hiring professionals, the cost difference is staggering.
With as little as $5 a month, your small business can have that all-important online presence in no time. Oh, that’s with free hosting and a custom domain!
- Self-Reliance: There’s nothing as frustrating as needing something done urgently and not being able to do it yourself. With the ease of using web builders, you get to rely on yourself if you need anything done. No frantic calls at odd hours in the night!
- Short Turn-Around Time: Hiring professionals means that it may be weeks or even months before your website goes live. With web builders, it is only a few minutes from start to publish!
- Easy Modification and Maintenance: You get even better the more you interact with a web builder. This means that you can constantly improve and customize your website as often as you want, exactly how you want.
- Apps and Plugins: Web builders come with apps and plugins that add a lot of functionality to your website. Remember, you do not have to write a single line of code.
- Customer Care: Stuck? Call customer care (for free!)
- Decide on the website builder to go with
- Pick the package/ plan that suits your budget
- Pick a great domain name for your business
- Go with your favourite template
- Customize the template to your heart’s (and business’ desire)
- Add that personal touch
- Publish!
There you have it! Aren’t website builders Great? In only a few minutes, you can create a beautiful, custom, professional website.
